Passion Project
by Nightengale4698
Summary: Charlie and company gets some help in running their day to day aspects of the Hotel from some unusual people A collab story between myself, Nickshephard, and Breakawayfan. (Picture drawn by RiplaeChills)
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello all, Nightengale here again. For anyone hoping for a new RWBY chapter, I'm sorry but I've lost the passion for that story, obviously. To anyone interested, I have fallen in love with Hazbin Hotel, a show on YouTube by Vivziepop that only has a single episode right now, but it is amazing. Please, go watch it before you read this. And to those who have already watched it, enjoy my addition to Vivzie's universe. Also, this is a collaboration fic with my best friends and co-authors, Nickshephard and Breakawayfan. I love you all, and enjoy the chapter. Also, there will be use of languages other than English in this story, but neither I nor my friends are speakers of the languages, so please forgive us for mispronunciations. We will do our best to provide translations at the end of the chapters.**_

"….got your pen, bitch?!" A deep growl and scream comes from the television sitting above a bar, before a deeply tanned and lightly scarred hand changes it to coverage of the turf war wrapping up on the West side. The hand goes back to wiping down the counter in front of the creature, a slow, quiet version of the song they just heard on the TV being hummed from behind their pale, cracked mask. They stand at an intimidating 6'6" and 180 lbs. of lean, corded muscle. They appear completely human, but for a set of tattered eagle wings flexing every now and again on their back. A light golden colored robe is draped across them, leaving their right shoulder and part of their chest exposed while covering the rest of their body down to their feet, which were bare. The creature looks up to the rest of their bar, seeing the last couple of patrons walking out the door. He casts a quick spell to lock the door behind him, not wanting to have to start cleaning again if another sinner were to walk in unexpectedly.

"Princess Charlie," the being mumbles in a deep baritone. "She is far too compassionate for this pit." He puts his rag into the laundry bin before walking to the back door, waving his arm in a lazy manner to shut off the lights. After he locks the back door, he watches a stretch limo slowly drive by, shockingly white with pink and gold accents. He also catches a glimpse of a rough-looking and distraught Charlie in the back window. He begins to walk in the same direction towards his apartment, walking no faster than if he was taking a weekend stroll. Before he can make it to his building, however, he hears the roar of an aerial vehicle pass overhead. He looks up to see Sir Pentious' blimp following the path that Charlie's limo took not long ago.

The creature sighs to himself, "It's not your business; they can take care of themselves. She is the princess of Hell…" He reaches up to scratch at his dark brown beard. "Who also believes that every demon in Hell can be redeemed. Condemn me, I'm not going to be able to sleep if I don't check on them." He turns away from his building, heading in the direction the blimp went, a brisk jog getting him there in a short amount of time. He arrives in time to see Sir Pentious drop his cannon and begin to charge it, aiming directly at a large, ostentatious building with a large sign on top that reads "Happy Hotel." He aggressively waves his arms at the blimp, arcs of light severing the cannon from its mount, as well as damaging the engines, causing it to fly off at terrible speeds. When the creature looks back towards the building, he sees a group of six people staring directly at him. Five of them look at him in fear and amazement, while the sixth looks at him with a small smile, tight in agitation.

"Well well well," the nearest person says, an odd crackle distorting their voice. "I never would have guessed _YOU_ would protect _ME_, Azrael. What a truly entertaining turn of events." The now identified entity, Azrael, lets out an aggravated sigh.

"Believe me, Alastor" Azrael growls out. "Had I known _YOU_ were the one Pentious was attacking, I would have held you down for him. Hell would be a brighter place should he finally blow you out of the depths of this pit." Azrael turns away from him, ready to head back home before he feels a body attach itself to his back. He looks back over his shoulder to see Charlie had wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and smiling up at him.

"I don't know who you are, Mister, but thank you _so much _for saving my hotel!" Her smile falters slightly when she sees his mask staring back at her, it's pale white and cracked visage offering no hint of emotions of the owner, the slightly long nose of it giving her the impression of an eagle's face staring at her. When he doesn't respond to her immediately, she releases her hug, stepping back slightly before coughing and offering her hand to him. "Sorry about that, I should introduce myself so I can thank you properly. I'm Charlie, and I run this hotel." Azrael looks down at her, still not saying a word, before slowly reaching out and shaking her hand.

"Azrael," He mumbles to her. "Bar owner. Saw Pentious trying to take some territory that wasn't his and didn't want him this close to my place. If you want to keep this building standing," he tilts his head up towards her Hotel. "You may want to invest in some kind of security measures, some way of protecting it. Since you haven't been on this side of the Pentagram for very long, Princess, let me give you some advice. People around here respect heavy artillery a lot more than they do a pretty smile."

Charlie's smile fades a little as she lets go of his hand, before a look of determination takes over her face. "So then I just need to be prepared to meet people with a smile and a glock."

Azrael chuckles quietly before saying, "You may want to put a little more thought into it than that, Your Highness. People might receive a few mixed messages about that. Or just assume you're as crazy as the rest of us." Charlie huffs and crosses her arms.

"Look, I know people don't respect me just because of who my father is, but could you please call me by my name?" Charlie stares directly into the eyes of Azrael's mask, not flinching as she speaks to him. "I'd prefer to earn my own respect, not skate by on the fear of my dad." Azrael blinks behind his mask before letting a small smile grace his lips.

"Don't misunderstand me, Young Charlie. I neither fear your father, nor mean to insult your station. My respect towards him, and yourself, are genuine. Both of you have earned it." Charlie gives him an odd look before saying, "What have I done to earn your respect? I didn't even know you ten minutes ago."

Azrael frowns before mumbling, "Figures Luci wouldn't tell anyone about me." Azrael coughs before saying, "I caught your performance with Killjoy earlier." Charlie blushes a little as he continues. "She may be an absolute _alkaliba_, but she is still a powerful demon. And you were willing to fight her for belittling what you believe in. That takes true passion, something that this place has been missing for a long time. And that is deserving of respect, in my opinion." Azrael stops talking when he sees the stars that have formed in Charlie's eyes.

"You think what I'm trying to do is possible?!" She practically shouts at him. Azrael reaches out and pats the top of her head, a little sad to say what he has to say.

"Respecting your passion and believing in your cause are two entirely different things, _Alsghyr_." Azrael immediately feels bad seeing Charlie's stricken look. Before he can say anything else, he reaches up and snatches the spear flying at his face out of the air. He quickly stabs it down into the ground next to him, stepping back to dodge the angry woman that stabs another spear into the ground where he just was.

"What did you do to Charlie, _cabeza de pollo_?!" The woman standing between Charlie and himself is roughly the same height as Charlie, though her skin is a light shade of grey, a large crossed eyepatch rests over her left eye.

Charlie shouts "Vaggie, stop!" at her, but goes ignored. Azrael holds up his hands in a placating manner but is interrupted by the arrival of the rest of Charlie's companions.

"Ya!" A loud, nasally voice comes out from the spider demon to Charlie's left. "You don't get to make Charlie upset, no matter how hot a bod you got!" Charlie quickly elbows the demon in the side, though he hardly seems to notice. He is too busy eyeballing as much of Azrael as he can.

"Look, I wasn't trying to upset her," Azrael says. "I was just clearing up a misunderstanding. I'm going to go and let you all get back to… whatever it is you do." He turns to walk away from the group but stops after a few steps. He speaks without turning around.

"_Alsghyr_, to truly answer your question, I may not believe in your cause, but I never said that it was Impossible. If there were ANYONE in Hell that could help get demons set on the path of redemption, I think it would be you." He turns to look back again, seeing the large blinding smile on Charlie's face.

"Thank you, Azrael. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Azrael can't help from smiling at such an honest soul. "You're welcome, Charlie. And please, if you ever need some advice on running a business, stop by 'Halfway to Heaven.' It's the bar I own not far from here. Oh, and could you do me a favor?" Charlie nods at him, still smiling at him. "Next time you speak to your father, tell him that you earned Azrael's respect. He'll understand the message." Charlie looks extremely confused, but she nods her head at him.

"Sure, though I'm not sure when I'll be able to get ahold of him." Azrael laughs to himself as he walks away, "Oh don't worry. I'm sure I'll know EXACTLY when you tell him that."

…

A few uneventful days pass before Azrael suspects that Charlie had spoken with her father, his first suspicion being when Lucifer practically rips the front doors off and storms inside. Every sinner and demon in the place clears out as soon as they realize who just walked in, and he is clearly upset. Azrael stares at Lucifer from behind the bar, the only denizen to not be intimidated by the display.

"Do you have any idea how much revenue you just cost me for the day?" Azrael sighs in an irritated manner before waving his arm in a large circle, every door and window to the building locking and every blind and shutter closing, blocking out anyone who might try to peak in from the outside. "I sincerely hope you plan on compensating me for the loss, Luci."

"Don't give me that 'Luci' shit, Azrael!" Lucifer snarls out at him. "You have the _audacity_ to encourage Charlie's stupid little project?!" Azrael sighs heavily before beginning to wipe down his counter. "Answer me, damn you!" Lucifer actually feels a slight shudder go through him when he catches a glimmer of light from under Azrael's mask.

"You may be the King of Hell, Luci. But I am the owner of this establishment, and you _will_ show me the respect I deserve." Lucifer growls but nods his head slowly. "And I'm not ignoring you, not intentionally anyway. I'm just going through my closing checklist through my head, seeing as _someone_ scared off all of my patrons. Now, to answer your question, I didn't encourage Charlie, Lucifer. I just didn't actively discourage her, like every other soul in Hell has done, including her father, apparently."

Lucifer stomps over to the bar before sitting down at a stool, "Of course I'm discouraging her, Ray. Because her project is doomed to fail." He looks up when he sees half a glass of whiskey on ice set in front of him. "Funny," Azrael says. "I seem to remember telling someone else that millennia ago, and it didn't make a lick of difference to them then."

Lucifer grumbles but accepts the glass. "Completely different things, Ray. We were trying to fix a broken system that didn't treat its people fairly." Azrael refills the glass as he chuckles. "I'm glad to see that your skull hasn't thinned out in the time we've been apart, Lucifer. The short time I have spoken to your daughter, I can tell she has inherited your understanding of right and wrong, as well as your stubborn streak. She is willing to go against everything she has ever known to save her people from an eternity of pain and suffering, or worse, oblivion at the hands of Angels. And she is ready to drag every single one of them into the light, kicking and screaming if she has to, to do it. Honestly, I can't help but wonder if she's trying to one up her old man."

Lucifer finishes his drink before setting down his glass. "Ray," he says, carefully choosing his words. "There is no way in the nine circles that her plan is going to work. All of us were sent down here for a reason, and I have never seen anyone willing to change to escape it." He reaches into his coat, dropping a large stack of bills onto the counter. "For the drinks, and the patrons." Lucifer turns to walk out the door, knowing Azrael will undo his magic. Sure enough, Azrael snaps his fingers and the doors go back on their hinges.

"Just remember, Luci." Azrael calls from the bar. "Just because it's never been done before, doesn't mean it can never be done. I actually hope that she succeeds to prove all of us wrong." Lucifer laughs as he opens the door. "Sinners like us don't get to hope, Ray." Azrael begins to clean the glass and put away the money before he says to the empty bar, "It never stopped us before."

…

The next morning, Azrael walks to his bar to do his morning paperwork and last night's receipts, only to stop short when he sees a stretch Limo sitting in front of his building. He chuckles to himself before walking up to the rear passenger window, watching it rolls down to reveal a determined Charlie and a skeptical Vaggie in the back seat.

"Azrael, is now a convenient time to talk?" Vaggie reaches over and puts a hand on Charlie's arm, who places her hand on top of Vaggie's.

Azrael nods and says, "Of course, _Alsghyr._ Would you like to come in? I can have some coffee ready in a few minutes." Azrael waves an arm at his building, unlocking the front door so that the three can walk in. Charlie and Vaggie sit at his bar as Azrael walks behind it, getting his morning coffee ready.

"Either of you two want a cup? I usually don't have company this early, so please excuse my lack of snacks." Vaggie and Charlie both nod before Charlie starts to talk.

"So, Azrael…" Azrael interrupts her by saying, "Please, call me Az, or Ray. I know Azrael can be a mouthful." Charlie smiles at him before continuing. "Ray, I was wondering if you'd let me take you up on your offer to help?"

Azrael pours three cups of coffee, setting an assortment of additives down between the girls, adding a single cream and sugar to his own drink. "Of course, _Alsghyr_, what did you have in mind?" Vaggie cuts in before Charlie has a chance to answer him. "Ok, this has been bugging me for a while now, but what is it you keep calling her? Al-saw-regal?" Azrael chuckles for a moment before saying, "_Alsghyr,_ it's Arabic for 'Little One.' Nothing negative implied, I promise you. Just a pet name for someone young enough to be my daughter." Vaggie frowns a little before pushing the additives over to Charlie, drinking her black coffee. Charlie pouts at Vaggie for interrupting, then begins adding enough cream and sugar to qualify her coffee as a milkshake.

"As I was about to say," Charlie says, glaring at Vaggie. "I don't have much experience running a business, and I was hoping you could set me on the path to success?" Azrael slowly sips from his coffee cup, years of drinking around his mask's nose making it easy.

"Well, I would need to know what your current business model is?"

Charlie looks at him confusedly, "To… help sinners get… to Heaven?" Azrael waits a moment for Charlie to explain further but is shocked when she doesn't say more. "T-that's really as far as you have planned? What about sustainability? Cost vs income? Customer base?"

Charlie's face begins to turn red as she says, "Like I said, I don't have much business experience…"

"_Aljanat Saeidni"_ Azrael thinks to himself. "Alright, alright…how do you plan to reach out to sinners? Bring them to your hotel?"

Vaggie cut in to say, "We were kind of counting on the news report to let people know what we were about."

"Which devolved into a mockery and a bar brawl." Azrael commented. Vaggie starts to look more upset but calms down when she feels Charlie grab her hand. "I wasn't blaming you for that happening, children. I was simply pointing out that you cannot trust your first plan to have the impact you hoped for when it didn't pan out like you wanted. I simply meant that since the plan didn't survive contact, it is time to tweak your plan. Or, worst case scenario, you scrap the plan you had and start fresh. Perhaps pay for a spot for a paid advertisement where you don't have to worry about rude women dismissing your idea outright."

Charlie sits and ponders a moment, sipping at her coffee before saying. "How could that have any different kind of impact than the interview?" Azrael sets his own mug down before saying, "For one, what is talked about and focused on is much more in your direct control. Not to mention it's much less likely that the evidence of lost progress won't be so readily available to be thrown in your face. Plus, you can tell people exactly HOW you plan on helping in a much calmer and more inviting environment." Charlie starts nodding along to Azrael's explanation, though Vaggie is still openly skeptical. "Something else you want to explain is the rates you'll be charging."

"Charging?" Vaggie asks. "We are trying to help redeem sinners, why would we CHARGE them for it?" Azrael smiles at her before answering.

"A very good question, which has several answers to it. One reason is because no matter how good your intentions are, we are still a monetary based economy in Hell. Meaning that the time, energy, magic, science, or whatever you use has to be paid for, one way or another. And seeing as Ol' Scratch probably isn't willing to foot the bill for it, you'll have to get the money somewhere. Otherwise your whole idea falls flat as soon as whatever savings you have run out. And two, there is not a single resident of Hell that would believe that somebody will do something good for other people without getting something for it."

Charlie taps her chin in thought before saying, "So we are alleviating their paranoia by doing what they expect any other denizen to do?" Azrael smiles and reaches over to pat the top of her head, to her embarrassment and Vaggie's annoyance. "Exactly, _Alsghyr._ The sinners and demons are so used to expecting deceit and treachery that it is impossible to expect anything else. So, it's better to give them the treatment they expect before starting their treatment for something better." Azrael gathers up all three mugs before moving them to the sink, beginning to wash them.

Vaggie taps her finger on the counter, fidgeting out of nervousness. "So, not only do we need to take away people's ability to talk shit about us, we also need to make them think we are trying to change them just so we can have their money?" Azrael nods to her comment, toweling the mugs dry before putting them back above the bar.

"More or less, though you may not want to be so transparent in your commercial." Charlie puts her head in her hands, propping it up with her elbows on the bar.

"How the Hell are we going to film a commercial? Let alone get somebody to agree to airing it?" Charlie looks up at Azrael, only to see a flutter of his robe walking into his office. He comes back out with a stack of papers and a calculator.

Azrael begins adding up the charges from the night before he holds a business card out to Charlie. "Give this fellow a call. He's a regular patron, and he specializes in commercials. Tell him that 'Boss' is calling in a favor. And if he still demands payment, give him this." Azrael reaches under the bar and pulls out the stack of money that Lucifer left him. Charlie tries to push the money back to Azrael as she says, "Oh, no. You're already doing so much to help us, I can't accept your money on top of all that." Azrael looks up at her and smiles as he says, "You aren't. You're accepting Luci's money. Old boy came in last night and scared my customers away. Left that to pay me for it."

Charlie pushes the money even harder, "Then I definitely can't accept this! My family caused you trouble, I can't take back compensation for it!" Azrael laughs harder before turning Charlie's hand over and setting the money in it. He gently squeezes her hand closed as he says, "Consider this a much better compensation. It will drive Luci crazy knowing that the commercial he's about to see was paid for with his own money." He gently pulls his hand away, glad that Charlie doesn't try to give it back again.

"Thank you," she whispers to him, "Thank you so much. You have been such a big help with this. But…" She looks up at him, determination etched on her face. "Going by your earlier logic, I have to assume that you expect something in return for all this help."

Azrael nods at her, smiling as he says, "You learn quickly. Must get that from your mother, because I could have beaten that lessen over Luci's head for days before he caught on. You are correct; I do want something in return." Vaggie growls at him, "What do you want? To seize assets from the sinners after they leave? Or are you trying to leverage something more…physical for your help?"

Azrael lets a frown form on his face, a glint of light shimmering from his mask before he speaks. "I can understand why you would worry about that. An older man helping two attractive women reeks of exploitation, but you couldn't be more wrong about me. I see Charlie like the niece I never had, and only an idiot would miss how you two act with each other. Besides, I'm demisexual, so unless I trust someone to make a real romantic bond with them, that isn't happening."

He takes a deep breath to calm down before he says, "All I want in return, is to be able to follow someone with true passion again. I have existed for so long, watching people live their lives full of selfishness and complacency. But somebody with true passion in their lives, who is willing to put everything they are and everything they have on the line to help people need it? That is something that can help me feel like I'm living instead of just existing. That is what I want. And if you can give me that, I will give you everything I have and lend you every ounce of my power to help you reach your goal."

Vaggie pulls Charlie away from the bar, both of them quietly talking to each other. They seem to come to an agreement as they walk back to the bar, Charlie looking determined while Vaggie looks ready to attack if she needs to. "Do you swear to do everything you can to help me with my cause?" Azrael walks around from the bar before placing a fist over his chest, a salute remembered from long ago.

"I so swear, _Sayidati._"

Charlie swallows nervously before continuing, "Do you swear to protect my people and myself to the best of your abilities?" Azrael looks down at her, his mask covering any expression he may have.

"I so swear, _Sayidati._"

Charlie nods her approval before she finishes with "And will you swear to be a part of my family? To be there when I need to talk about problems that I can't share with anyone else? To be my beloved Uncle, whom I can rely on when all but Vaggie has abandoned me?"

Azrael is visibly shocked by Charlie's final request, but seeing her shivering and trying to not cry eases his worry, bringing a smile to his face as he moves his fist from his chest and gently places his open palm on top of her head. "I so swear, _Alsghyr._" Charlie finally breaks down and hugs him, squeezing him tightly, mumbling into his chest, "Thank you, Uncle Azra." Azrael continues petting her head, only stopping when he hears Charlie mumble something. "What was that, Charlie, couldn't hear you through my chest."

Charlie looks up at him, stars practically radiating from her eyes. "I said, can I see what you look like under your mask?!" Azrael stares at her for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing, loud raucous guffaws coming from him for a few moments before he calms down enough to look back at her.

"I usually try to know someone longer before trusting them with this, but for you? Anything." Azrael steps back from her, sitting down on a bar stool before reaching back behind his head, releasing the minor spell he uses to make sure someone doesn't knock, or snatch, him mask off his face, before untying the silk ropes hidden in his hair.

As he pulls the mask off his face, he can see both Vaggie and Charlie watching him in rapt attention, Charlie out of honest curiosity, Vaggie out of suspicion mixed with the slightest amount of curiosity. The face under the mask would be described as a moderately handsome 35-year-old man from Israel, his skin a light caramel brown, his beard a short, dark brown goatee covering his upper lip, chin, and jawline. His hair is the same color as his beard, long enough to reach his shoulder blades and ruler straight. But what truly catches their attention is his eyes. His pupils were indistinguishable from his irises, the same pitch black, only broken by the occasional flicker of light from within. Vaggie immediately pulls out a spear, getting between Charlie and Azrael.

"You're an Angel?!" She growls at him.

Azrael smiles and shakes his head no, responding with, "I'm a Fallen Angel, _Alsghyr_. I was once the Angle of Death, charged with helping guide the recently passed to the afterlife. But I joined Lucifer's rebellion against God, and I was banished to the Pit for it." Charlie gently pushes Vaggie to the side, ignoring her protests before staring directly into his eyes without flinching.

Charlie asks him, "Why do you wear the mask? You could rule Hell with my Father if you wanted to."

Azrael shrugs at her before saying, "We had a… _falling out_ a long time ago. A disagreement that we never reconciled, and it seemed easier to just fade into legend than have a constant target painted on my back by other heavy hitters looking for payback on Lucifer in any way."

Charlie keeps looking at him as she says, "Do you plan on betraying us further down the line?"

Azrael straightens his shoulders as he says, "Never. I have sworn my loyalty to you, and I would never go back on that." She stares into his eyes a little longer before saying, "I believe you. I'm sorry for asking you those things."

Azrael only smiles back at her and says, "I would have been concerned if you didn't ask those questions, _Alsghyr._"

Charlie smiles and gives him one last hug before turning back to Vaggie and saying, "Come on Vaggie, let's go home and let Azra finish getting ready for his day." Vaggie looks like she wants to argue, but soon sighs and nods to Charlie, putting her spear away.

"Alright, hon." They both look back to Azrael as he places both fists together and bowing to them at his waist.

"Travel safely, ladies. And put serious thought into what we discussed." Both the girls give small bows in return before walking out the door, leaving Azrael alone. He straightens back up as he grabs his mask, retying the knot and reapplying the spell before going back to his work, the only sounds heard being shuffling paper and the errant clicks from a calculator.

_**And that wraps up the first chapter of "Passion Project." I hope you all liked it. As mentioned, the language we dabbled in was Arabic, but written out phonetically, to make it easier to understand what was being said. There was also a little Spanish thrown in as well. I'll provide a list of the words and phrases used after this note. Let me know what y'all think about the chapter, check out Vivziepop's work on Youtube, as well as Nickshephard and Breakawayfan's stories on this site. Until next chapter, stay safe and have fun.**_

**All non-English languages were made by out best understanding and Google Translate, but if we have used them incorrectly, we will be glad to change them to match the correct use.**

_**Alkaliba**_\- Bitch (Arabic)

_**Alsghyr**_\- Little One (Arabic)

_**Cabeza de pollo**_\- Chicken Head (Spanish)

_**Aljanat Saeidni**_\- Heaven Help Me (Arabic)

_**Sayidati**_\- My Lady or Madam (Arabic)


	2. Chapter 2

"So we have determined what you two feel the services and treatments cost the hotel." Azrael is standing in front of a large whiteboard in the waiting area of the hotel. Vaggie and Charlie are both sitting in comfy chairs facing the board, clip boards in hand and faces showing frustration and fatigue. "Next, we need to decide what will be the most cost effective way to recoup these losses. Depending on what we are trying to do, we will decide if it is better to take cheaper cost for a larger group, or a more expensive one on one approach. Obviously, this will be decided on a case by case basis, but I find it better to lay out the option now so that we know it's there."

When Azrael turns back to the girls, he sees Charlie sitting with her hand in the air, while Vaggie has a hand over her face. He smiles behind his mask as he says, "_Alsghyr_, this isn't a class room, you can just speak up if you have a question." Charlie puts her hand down and pouts at Azrael. "I didn't want to interrupt when you were talking about important stuff. But I wanted to ask if we could take a break? We've been at this a while and I think we need to think over what you've said before we try to understand more."

Azrael pulls his phone out to check the time, surprised to see that they have been talking for over three hours. He nods his head and says, "Of course. I didn't mean to drone on so long. Would you two like something to eat?" Charlie nods her head quickly while Vaggie only shrugs. Azrael chuckles and heads to the kitchen, passing Nifty along the way, stepping around the area she just got done mopping. He steps into the kitchen to start preparing a simple meal of rice and khoresh.

As he is preparing the meat for the stew, he feels something small and quick dart past him, patting his pocket as it goes past. He looks around the kitchen a moment before saying, "Nifty? Was that you that just ran by?" Nifty pops into the kitchen an instant later, zipping up next to him before speaking. "Nope! I just got done putting the mop away in the hall closet! What made you think I came in here?" He shrugged his shoulder as he adds the meat and fruit to his stew. "Felt something tiny and fast brush by me. I figured it had to be either you, or Husker got into some cat nip." Nifty starts zipping from one side of the kitchen to the other, searching the place high and low.

"Hmmmmm! Oh! I bet you it was Junior!" Azrael puts a lid on the stew before turning back to Nifty. "Junior?" He asks her. "Who is this 'Junior' person?" Nifty started zipping around Azrael himself, poking at the few pockets she can see. "Junior's a kid Vaggie and Charlie found a while back. Sneaky little sneaker! Has a tendency to pickpocket, so you may wanna make sure you aren't missing anything!" Azrael nods at Nifty as he pats the pocket he felt move earlier and realizes his Hell phone is missing.

"Nifty, would you be a dear and watch my cooking for me? I need to go talk to Charlie a moment." Nifty zips away and zips back in with an apron and a step stool, setting up next to the oven. "Sure thing, Chicken Wing!" Azrael laughs at her and walks back out to the waiting area, seeing Charlie and Vaggie talking over a couple cups of coffee. Vaggie sees him coming over and asks, "Lunch ready already?"

Azrael shakes his head no and says, "There is still some time yet, but I needed to talk to you two. Nifty tells me I may have had my pocket picked by a 'Junior' while I was in the kitchen?" Vaggie curses quietly while Charlie started rubbing her temples. "Junior," Charlie mutters, "I thought we were passed this…" She looks up to Azrael and says, "Uncle Azra, I am SO sorry. I thought we had helped Junior give up on pickpocketing, but it sounds like we still have some work to do." Vaggie reaches over and puts a hand on Charlie's shoulder, saying, "Charlie, maybe we should have Azrael speak to Junior? He is….uniquely qualified to talk to him." Charlie thinks about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. "I didn't even think of that, but you're right, Vaggie. Uncle Azra, would you be willing to speak with Junior?"

Azrael looks at both of them before saying, "I hardly see how I'm qualified to speak to a child." Charlie shuffles in place as she says, "It's not so much how old he is as it is WHO he is….." Azrael thinks it over a moment before saying, "Very well. Take me to him." Charlie takes his hand, a quirk she picked up a few days after adopting him as her uncle. They ride an elevator up to the next floor, passing several rooms before stopping at a door right next to Angel Dust's. Charlie knocks on the door a few times before opening it up.

Azrael notices immediately that the room is occupied by a young boy, a few toys scattered around the floor. He looks over to the bed to see a young boy sitting on it while flipping through channels on his TV. The boy has slicked back, dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He looks to be about the same height as Nifty, and a scrawny, but healthy, build. The boy is wearing a simple blue hoodie, jeans and white sneakers. Beside him on the bed is Azrael's Hell phone and a couple small piles of money that he is separating and counting. He hasn't noticed that he has visitors, focusing on the money in his hands.

Charlie clears her throat, causing the boy to jump in surprise and vainly try to hide the money in his hands behind his back. "H-hello Ms. Charlie and Ms. Vaggie, how can I help you today?" The boy has a very soft, almost musical voice. Vaggie steps forward, her arms crossed. "You can start by giving this man his phone back, and then explain why you are pickpocketing again!" Azrael sees the boy flinch at Vaggie's raised voice; his shoulder's starting to shake. Azrael steps forward, patting Vaggie's shoulder as he steps by.

"Gently, _Alsghyr_, gently, a raised voice is not always the way to get an answer." Azrael steps over to the boy's bed, grabbing a chair and sitting down a few feet away from him. "Greetings _tifl_, my name is Azrael. Can you tell me your name?" The boy stares into the eyes of Azrael's mask before his eyes widen and he backs away from him.

"The Angel of Death? The Guardian of the Departed? The Angel that sided with Lucifer and joined him in Hell? That Azrael?" Azrael is shocked that this boy can recognize him even with his mask and his name. He slowly reaches behind his head to undo his mask, moving so that he doesn't startle the boy. When Azrael opens his eyes again, the child begins to cry. "I am so sorry! I didn't know who you were, I swear I never would have stolen from you had I known who you were!"

Azrael holds up his hand, bringing the boy's rambling to a stop. "No harm was done, _tifl._ Just return my phone and money to me and we can forget this happened. What has me concerned, however, is how you were able to recognize me. I have taken great pains to keep my identity hidden from all but those I trust implicitly." The boy quickly pushes the money and phone over to Azrael's side of the bed before standing up and taking off his hoodie. Azrael sees a small set of black feathered wings stretch out from behind the boy, which begin to beat as rapidly as a hummingbird's, letting the boy raise into the air and hover in front of Azrael.

"Another Fallen Angel," Azrael whispers to himself, not believing what he is seeing. "A CHILD Fallen Angel. But last I had known the only Angel that had a child was…." The boy nods his head, tears falling from his now glowing blue eyes. "My name is Michael Junior, and my father is the Arch Angel Michael, who defeated Lucifer and cast him and his allies into the Pit." Azrael is too stunned to say anything to Michael, so he turns to Charlie and Vaggie, both looking uncomfortable. "Where in the Nine Circles did you find the son of Michael?!"

Vaggie was the one to speak first. "I caught him trying to pick Charlie's pocket when we were walking home from dinner a few weeks ago. I was about to chase him off, but Charlie noticed how malnourished he was and talked me into letting him come to the Hotel to see if we could help him. We've been keeping him fed and clothed ever since, and trying to discourage him from stealing anymore. But as you can see, it isn't exactly taking."

Azrael turns back towards Michael, seeing that he has stopped flying and is huddled against the head of his bed. "Michael," Azrael starts, only to be loudly interrupted. "JUNIOR!" The boy shouts. "I go by Junior….." Azrael only nods and continues. "Junior, can you tell me WHY you feel the need to steal?" Junior just shrugs and mumbles noncommittally." Do you do much here at the hotel?" Junior just shakes his head no while staring at the floor. "Would you like to help Charlie and Vaggie around the hotel?" Junior slowly looks up at Azrael before nodding at him. Before he can say anything else, he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to find Charlie looking at him and nodding to the door. He nods and stands up, saying "Junior, we'll be right back. Behave until then." Azrael reaches over and gently pats Juniors head, hearing a mumbled "Yes sir" before he walks outside.

When Charlie closes the door, Vaggie whisper yells at him. "What the Hell? We all know the boy is a thief and you want to have us give him access to more of the hotel?" Charlie looks uncomfortable, but doesn't disagree with her. Azrael pulls his hood up, not wanting to bother with the mask for such short a time. "I'm trying to give the boy a chance to prove he can stop stealing if he is given a bit of trust. From what I have gathered, you brought him here, put some food in him, then left him to wander like a stray dog. I know you two have good intentions, but you have to remember, he is a CHILD. Even if he is the son of an Angel, he is still young. He is hurting, alone, and DESPERATELY wanting someone to pay attention to him, however he has to get that attention. If you don't want him to seek out negative attention, you need to give him positive attention. Spend more than the bare minimum amount of time with him, let him prove he can earn your trust, treat him like a guest or a friend, not a burden you've taken on."

Vaggie and Charlie both look ashamed and ready to argue, but they can't think of anything to refute what Azrael said. When they walk back into Junior's room, they see that he has separated the money into stacks with a messily written note with a person's name on each stack. Junior has put his hoodie back on and is sitting patiently on his bed, waiting for them to come back. "I wrote down who I took each stack of money from and where I nabbed it. I want to do whatever I have to to help around here." Azrael smiles as he turns back to the girls, laughing at their shocked expressions. "You see, girls? A little trust given can go a long way. Why don't you three sit down and talk this out, figure out what you want him to do? I left Nifty to watch lunch and I need to get back." Azrael quickly grabs up his money and phone, tying his mask back in place as he walks out.

When he walks back into the kitchen, he sees Nifty slowly stirring his pot, watching it intensely. "Thank you, Nifty. Sorry it took so long; we had a few more things pop up than I anticipated." Nifty quickly spun around and smiled at him, saying "No problem, Azrael. I haven't had a chance to cook in a while, so it was a nice change of pace." Azrael nods and pats her head as she walks past him to put away her stool. "I'll try to get your help next time I make lunch, then." Nifty smiles at him one last time before taking off to clean more.

As he begins to put food on different plates, he hears a quiet hum come from the other door. "I never knew that the House Husband look could get me going, but you DEFINITELY rock it, Ray-Ray." Azrael only sighs as he ducks away from a set of arms trying to get a hold on him. "Angel Dust, we have been over this; it is not happening. You aren't the type to settle down and I'm not the type for flings and one-night stands." Angel chuckles as he runs a finger down Azrael's jaw. "See, I hear you saying the words, but the biggest thing I notice is that you never say that you just don't want to be with a MAN like me." Azrael gently swats his hand away with a spoon before saying, "Because if we actually got to know each other, I'd happily be with a man like you. I don't care about the parts a person has; I fall for the person. And that is the problem; I need a serious connection with someone before I'll consider a physical relationship."

Angel Dust smiles before stepping up in front of Azrael, looking down at his mask. "And what if I told you that I did want to try a real relationship? That I want to get to know what's behind this thing." Angel reaches up and taps a finger against the nose of Azrael's mask. Azrael turns away from him, grabbing up some plates and gesturing for Angel to take some too, who grabs up the others, much to his surprise. "There are A LOT of things that would need to change before I took you seriously, and I don't see you going through all that."

Angel puts his plates down with a huff and crosses his upper arms under his chest, his lower hands resting on his hips. "Oh wow, here I am actively trying to better myself and you don't think I can change a few more things to go along with it?" Azrael sets his plates down and crosses his own arms, staring back up at Angel.

"I recorded Charlie's interview as a surprise for her, so I can pull up video proof of just how seriously you take 'Bettering yourself'." Angel huffs and crosses his other arms as well. "I owed my girl buddy a solid? What SHOULD I have done?" Azrael uncrosses his arms and walks past Angel, scoffing as he does. "So your bettering yourself only lasts until a 'friend' asks you to go right back to how you were, huh? Real dedication to change you have." Angel is fuming and walks up to stand directly in front of Azrael. "She has been my friend for years now! We cover each other's backs in fights, shared stories about guys!" Azrael calmly interrupts Angel with, "Got wasted on whatever liquor and/or drugs you two could get your hands on."

Angel looks away from him, muttering quietly. "That was before I came here. I haven't done that stuff in months now." Azrael reaches up and pats Angel's cheek as he says, "Yet all it took to drag you back into fighting was your friend asking for a favor. How big a favor will it take for her to talk you into another shot; or another line? This is what I see right now, Angel. You can either worry about making yourself a better person to leave this pit, or you can worry about what your 'Friend' would think about you when she finds out you're trying to change. It's up to you to decide what is more important to you right now." Azrael walks away from Angel, missing how he puts a hand over the spot that Azrael's hand touched.

Azrael walks back into the hotel a few weeks later for his bi-weekly business meeting with Charlie. As he walks into the foyer, he immediately sees Junior helping Nifty cleaning the hallway. He has forgone his former attire of a hoodie and jeans and instead wears a more professional looking valet uniform. He has on a bright crimson vest over a starch white button down shirt, pitch black slacks and black dress shoes that have been polished to a nearly reflective shine.

"Well, I'm glad to see the girls found something for you to do." Azrael is shocked when Junior sprints over and hugs tightly to Azrael's leg. "Thank you Odigos! It was so boring not having anything to do all day long!" Azrael hesitantly reaches a hand up and pats Junior's head. "You're very welcome, _tifl_. So they chose cleaning for you?"

Junior takes a step back and smiles up at Azrael. "No sir. They couldn't figure out what they could have me do, so I asked if I could help Nifty around the Hotel. She's teaching me all about cooking and cleaning and sewing and all kinds of stuff!" Nifty sprints over and bounces in place next to Junior. "He has been a HUGE help around the place, money boss! I've had to talk to him a couple times about trying to put the WHOLE bottle of spice into our food, but other than that he has been great!"

Azrael looks to the both of them before taking on a more serious tone. "And we haven't had any more...incidents?" Junior shakes his head excitedly, "No sir. I haven't even wanted to do it for weeks now. And...I wanted to apologize again for causing you so much trouble." Azrael pats Junior's head again as he says, "It's in the past, _tifl._ So long as you have learned, all is forgiven." Junior nods at him before going back to helping Nifty clean he hall they were in. Azrael continues down the hallway before walking towards Charlie's office.

As he was passing by a bathroom, he hears a horrible retching coming from inside, as well as a few coughs and spitting sounds. Worrying that one of his "nieces" has gotten sick, he walks over and knocks on the door. "Charlie?" He calls through the door. "Vaggie, is that one of you in there?" As he reaches to knock again, the door is ripped open by a woman Azrael would describe as a punk rocker. "The fuck do you want, old man?" The woman snarls at him. "My friend's going through some shit right now and don't need no hassling." Azrael holds his hands up in a placating manner before saying, "I'm not looking to 'Hassle' anyone, ma'am. I was just worried my niece was sick and wanted to see if she needed help." They both hear a weak voice call out from the bathroom. "It's ok, Cherri. That's Azrael; he's the guy I told you about." The voice stops as water can be heard running before a quick gargle and spit.

"Angel Dust?" Azrael looks at the now named Cherri for permission to enter, who huffs but lets him past. When he walks in, he sees Angel sitting on the toilet lid, head in his hands and shivering like he had flu. "Hey Ray." Angel says, his voice rough from getting sick. "Didn't expect to see you right now, sorry I don't look better." Azrael stands next to the sink, not getting to close to Angel but still standing close enough if he needs help. "What happened? You don't look so good."

Angel Dust laughs quietly, but it devolves into a quick coughing fit. Azrael gets a small cup of water from the sink and offers it to Angel, who drinks it and is able to calm down. "Sorry. But to answer your question, I'm apparently going through withdrawals. Haven't had a line, or even a bump, since the last time we talked. And my guts aren't very happy with me about it." Angel looks up and smiles at Azrael, who is visibly shocked by what he is hearing. "You really are giving up doing drugs?"

Cherri speaks up from the doorway, irritation in her voice. "Yes he's giving it up, Hook Nose. He called me a couple weeks back, telling me he doesn't want anything else to do with drugs and territory battles. And he was sorry if I didn't want to hang with him anymore because of that. Took me a while to realize he wasn't yanking my dick, and I got a little pissy." Cherri continues to glare at Azrael for a moment before sighing and saying, "But I didn't want to lose my favorite dude, so I asked how I could help him. So I've been keeping him on track and away from the nose candy. Been rough, but I think we're finally on the downslope now."

Azrael looks back and forth between the two for a moment. He reaches over and takes the cup back from Angel Dust as he says, "You have a good friend helping you, Angel. And I am proud of the steps you have taken, and the progress you have made." Azrael turns to Cherri, a smile showing behind his mask's nose. "I know you are closer to Angel than I am, but thank you for being here for him. I was so worried that Charlie wouldn't get through to him, but she seems to have finally done it." Cherri laughs and says, "Angie didn't say anything about Princess convincing him to change. He said that a dude he has come to respect a lot pointed out some things about himself he realized he didn't care for. And that he legitimately wanted to be better now." Azrael looks back to Angel Dust, who refuses to meet Azrael's eyes, but is flipping Cherri off with all four hands.

"You can be such a Bitch, Cherri." Angel mutters loud enough for them both to hear, causing Cherri to burst out laughing. Cherri flips him back off before walking out the door, leaving the two alone. Azrael steps a little closer to Angel, offering him a hand up. Angel takes it tentatively, unsteady of his own feet. He leans over on Azrael's shoulder as the two walk out and head to Angel's room. Azrael helps him down onto his bed before heading to the medicine cabinet, grabbing a few headache medicine pills and some water.

"Take some medicine and try to get some rest. I'll see if I can cook something to settle your stomach after you wake up." Angel nods as he takes his meds, barely keeping his eyes open as he lies back down. "That sounds good, Ray." Azrael reaches over and brushes some hair away from his eyes. "If you like, once you have gotten all the way through this, may I take you out to lunch to celebrate your sobriety?" Angel smiles up at him and says, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were asking me on a date." Azrael coughs into his hand and responds with, "Well, that wasn't my intention, but if it turns into a date, I wouldn't be against it."

Angel stares at Azrael for a moment before laughing to himself. "Well, looks like I have an even better reason to keep myself sober now; a date sounds wonderful, Ray. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to sleep now." Angel falls asleep almost as soon as he stops speaking. Azrael stays a moment longer, playing with Angel's hair before standing up and turning back to the door. He stops when he sees Cherri standing in the doorway, bouncing one of her grenades in her hand. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't do anything to Angie while he couldn't defend himself. Angel may trust you, but that don't mean I do."

Azrael smiles at Cherri before placing his fist in his opposite palm and bowing at the waist towards Cherri. "You truly are a good friend, Miss Cherri, and I am thankful you are here to watch over him." Cherri is stunned by what Azrael says, stashing her bomb back wherever she got it from before saying, "You are an odd one, Hook Nose. I just threatened you, and you THANK me for it? But….. Angel seems to think you're cool, so I GUESS I can give you a chance to prove it."

Azrael straightens back up and responds with "I thank you because you are willing to put your life on the line for your friend." Cherri scoffs and says, "You don't look so tough, old man. Not much of a danger to m…" before she can finish, Azrael is suddenly standing next to her, facing away from her with his hand resting lightly on her throat. Cherri is stunned silent at the speed he moved, not being able to track him at all. "Remember this, _Mufajir_. Only a fool lets their enemies know their strengths before the battle starts." Azrael removes his hand from her throat before walking away, though he is quickly tackled by Charlie with a squeal of "Uncle Azra!" Cherri reaches up to rub at her throat, wincing when she feels the spots his fingers touched were slightly red from heat. "Who in the Nine Circles is this guy?" Cherri thinks to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello again everyone! Nightemgale here with another new chapter for yalls enjoyment! I watched the new Addict Music Video and my LORD it was wonderful. Great song, amazing vocals, full of passion and emotion! And it's what got my writing juices flowing for this chapter. Let me know what yall think about the story so far, and the chapter as well. Love yall!**_

"So, what do ya do when ya ain't mixin' drinks for schmucks or helpin' the princess keep her Hotel runnin'?" Angel Dust is sitting at the bar of Halfway to Heaven, watching Azrael work while slowly stirring a steaming cup of coffee. He has started looking healthier, being able to eat again, though his hands still shake from time to time. Azrael is wiping the bar down, almost done with closing. "You didn't have to come here for our date, Angel. I would have happily picked you up and taken you somewhere you'd enjoy. Plus, I don't feel like I'm able to give you the attention you deserve."

Angel chuckles quietly before saying, "It's fine, Ray. I wanted to come here so I could actually talk with you and have you to myself. If we went somewhere, we'd probably get swarmed by my 'Fans' and I wouldn't have a chance to get to know you." He lifts up his coffee cup and slowly sips at it, sighing in satisfaction. "So…?" Azrael smiles and shakes his head before he says, "I'm actually a normally boring man. I'll head home, do some light working out, check my finances, and maybe make myself some dinner."

Angel leans across the bar towards Azrael, a lazy sensual smile on his face as he asks, "Feel like making enough dinner for two? I think I wanna see what a 'Boring' night may look like." Azrael looks at him for a moment before he says, "I think I could be persuaded to welcome some company home." Angel's smile widens a little before asking, "Would that 'persuasion' happen to include breakfast the next morning?" Azrael crosses his arms over his chest before tilting his head from one side to the other, and then finally responds with "How about we start with dinner, and see where it goes from there?"

Before Angel can respond, there is a sudden pounding at the front door of the bar. "BARKEEP!" A loud voice can be heard from the other side of the door. "Barkeep, open up man! We wanna keep our party going and you are the closest place!" Azrael glowers at the door a moment before turning back to Angel.

"I'm sorry, Angel, let me take care of," Azrael stops talking when he looks at Angel. He is shaking as if all the heat was taken from his body, but he is sweating profusely. He reaches out to him, but before he can touch his shoulder, Angel sprints into the nearby office and closes the door, multiple locks engaging quickly after. Before he has a chance to go after him, the booming voice comes through the door again.

"Come on, Barkeep! It's not nice to keep paying customers waiting!" Azrael scowls at the door again before walking over to it, rapping a quick pattern on the door, undoing the door locks. As it swings open, Azrael crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the group of people before him. "The sign CLEARLY says we are closed, she-devils and gentle-demons. I suggest you go somewhere else to get your drinks, or go home. Neither of which will be happening here." A subtle tension begins to build as he takes in the group of people before him.

The type of demons before him range from short and curvy to tall and rail thin. Their clothing consisting of a variety of garish amalgamations of rags with delusions of fashion, with colors so bright they almost force you to ignore the bass thumping from the speakers of the limo behind them. The single thing that shows they are part of a group is the obviously glazed over, faraway look in their eyes that can only be brought on by copious amounts of mind bending, reality altering drugs that is normally seen in the basements of parties people never admit to attending. Every member of the entourage was completely blasted out of their skulls, and that made Azrael nervous.

"Now come on, man." A silky smooth voice comes from the middle of the group; much quieter and relaxed, but unmistakably the same voice that was coming through his door not ten seconds ago. The man speaking towered over Azrael, making him guess the man was nearly ten feet tall. He was beyond rail thin, the little amount of skin visible a dark blue, nearing purple. His eyes covered by a gaudy pair of sunglasses, despite it being approaching midnight. His clothing seemed to consist mostly of a large, plush bathrobe looking outfit of pink and white. He held a long cigarette holder of midnight black, the smoke rolling from it noxious and pungent.

"We're just looking to keep our party going, baby. Surely you can let us in for a couple drinks, little music, nothing too big and flashy." The man in charge of the group smiles at Azrael, charm and self-confidence practically dripping from his teeth. 'Oh great,' Azrael thinks to himself. 'This guy doesn't take No for an answer. I hate turning customers away, but…'

"Sorry, chief. Any other night I may have let you all in, but I have plans tonight and I need to finish closing up. I feel bad turning you away, so how about you all come back tomorrow night and I'll pour everyone a round of shots on the house?" Azrael sees the smile begin to fade and morph to a look of annoyance. He begins to gently move his fingers under his arms, keeping the movements out of sight.

"I don't think you understand what's going on here, baby." The man slowly stalks to the front of the group, all them quickly backing up to not draw his attention. He stops just before the doorway, inches from crossing the threshold. The significant height difference becomes even more apparent, with Azrael having to tilt his head back to keep eye contact with him. "We are GOING to have a party here. And you can either let us in peacefully and earn some money, or we force our way in and do all of our drinking for free."

Azrael stare the man directly in the eyes, refusing to show any sign of weakness to this group of druggies. "You seem to be the one not understanding the situation. You are NOT entering this building. And you all can forget the free drinks tomorrow after this display." The man is seething in rage at hearing this, and begins to reach forward to grab Azrael. Before his fingers can touch his clothing, a blast of concentrated magic energy blasts the man in the chest, flinging him from his feet and into the side of his limo. Azrael walks to the entrance, staying just inside the threshold before speaking.

"Consider that the only warning you will receive. I do not tolerate violence in my place of business, and I will protect myself and my patrons by any means I deem necessary. The only reason you didn't suffer more than some whiplash and a sore back is because I try not to kill people over one mistake. The next time you try something like that here, though, your groupies here will be scraping a smoldering pile of goo and bad clothing from my sidewalk. If you can assure me that you all will behave, you're welcome to return tomorrow. Otherwise, never come here again. Good night and drive safe."

Azrael briskly turns his back on the group, the doors slamming shut and locking themselves behind him. A few fists can be heard pounding on the door, before the sound of thunder crashing and short, pain filled screams drown them out, followed by tense silence. The limo fires up and speeds away, the people inside hurling insults until silence finally settles over the bar again. He walks over to his office, reaching towards the door knob before stopping himself. He lifts his hand and gently raps his knuckles against the hard wood before calling out.

"Angel," he calls, keeping his voice soft and low. "Angel, they aren't here anymore. You can come out now." He steps back from the door, waiting for a response from Angel. After a full minute, he finally hears the locks disengage and the door slowly swung open. Angel's head slowly pokes out, scanning the entire bar before settling on Azrael. Seeing him alone, he bursts from the office, tears in his eyes as he wraps his arms around Azrael. He slowly drops to his knees, Azrael dropping down with him, returning his hug, running his fingers through Angel's hair. They settle against the back of the bar, Azrael with his back against the bar, Angel leaning his head against Azrael's chest, his arms wrapped around his torso like vices.

Azrael continues to run his fingers through Angel's hair, while his other hand gently runs up and down his spine, trying to provide what little comfort he can. He loses track of how long they sit there, but eventually Angel finally settles down and pushes himself upright, refusing to look Azrael in the eyes. Azrael fishes a handkerchief from his robe, handing it to Angel without saying a word. Angel takes it and tries to wipe the tears from his cheeks, though he only smudges his make up more than it already is. Azrael holds a hand back out to him before saying, "May I?" Angel huffs at him but hands the handkerchief back to him, sitting still while he gently dabs away the tears and wipes away the eyeliner.

"Aren't ya gonna ask me what that was about?" Angel is staring at a spot on the floor just to the right of Azrael. Azrael gently nudges Angel's chin to inspect both sides of his face before responding. "Do you want me to ask you about it?" He quickly puts the handkerchief away and stands up, offering a hand to Angel to pull himself up with. Angel stares at it for a moment before taking it and standing up, though Azrael notices that he is hunched over, like he is trying to make himself seem smaller. Azrael leads Angel back to the seat he vacated earlier before everything happened. "I mean…I expected you to at least wonder who that was…"

"Oh I am absolutely curious about who that was and why just the sound of his voice scared you so much, but if you don't want to tell me about it, it isn't any of my business." Angel looks back at Azrael, not believing what Azrael said. "You expect me to believe that you were willing to go toe to toe with one of Hell's big wigs without finding out what upset me?" Azrael smiled at him before going back to cleaning the bar. "I don't expect you to believe anything. You are a friend, and something about that man upset you. That's all the justification I need to stand between you two. If you want to tell me anything, that's your choice; but I'm not going to force you to talk about something you are clearly uncomfortable about."

Angel stares into Azrael's mask for a moment, before sighing and dropping his head into his hands. He takes a deep, shuddering breath before whispering, "I'm scared. I'm scared that if I tell you that you'll never speak to me again. Or you'll look at me differently, or treat me like I'm made of glass. I don't want to risk that, I don't want to risk going back to how I used to be." Angel stops when he feels Azrael take one of his hands in his own, sitting on the stool next to him. His other hand is behind his head, undoing the knot holding his mask on. After he sets the mask on the bar, he looks Angel directly in the eyes and says, "Angel, I swear to you; on every ounce of power I possess, on everything I hold dear, I swear that if you tell me what it is that has you so upset, I will do my best to treat you with the respect you deserve. I can't promise it won't change how I think of you, because I have only known you for a relatively short amount of time. But I can promise that it won't make me treat you as less of a friend."

Angel stares desperately into Azrael's eyes, searching for the barest hint of deception in them. But he must have seen something that convinced him of Azrael's sincerity, because he took a slow deep breath before beginning to speak. "I suppose the best place to start is the beginning. Not long after I came to Hell, I became an exotic dancer at Club 666. Not to toot my own horn, but I was one of the best dancers there. One night, this tall, dark and dangerous dude came in to watch me dance. As soon as I saw him staring at me, I could tell he was Trouble, with a capital T. But he threw enough cash at my boss to cover my shift for the night, so the boss told me to 'entertain' the man the rest of the night."

Angel's voice began to choke up as he continued to speak, "I thought he just wanted some private dances, maybe show off the hot piece he had at some fancy party. But he wanted more than that. A lot more, and he didn't react well when I told him I wasn't interested. He hurt me, stripped me down, and then…he…" Azrael moves closer and gently places an arm around Angel's shoulders, only holding tighter when Angel moved into his embrace again. "It's ok, Angel." Azrael murmurs, gently rubbing Angel's shoulder as he speaks. "You don't need to say it, I understand."

Angel lets out a gasping sob before saying, "When he was…done…he threw a wad of cash at me, said that his name was Valentino, and that I worked for him now. I was so scared of pissing him off again, that I agreed. After that, he forced me into countless 'Movies' and street corners to make him money that I lost count of all the things I did. He barely let me keep enough of the money I 'earned' to live off of, and I wound up turning to drugs to help make my days hurt a little less. But one day, I accidently bumped into Cherri Bomb walking back to my apartment. I don't know what it was, but we just…clicked immediately. She became my best friend, helped me build up enough courage to get away from Val. She got me out of there, and we wound up blowing up the Club that started all of it. And I've been doing everything I can to stay off of Val's radar, staying in shitty apartments in shittier slums that Val would never walk through until Charlie finally found me and brought me to the Hotel."

Angel finally took a deep, ragged breath before raising his head and staring directly into Azrael's eyes, though he couldn't hide the trembling of his shoulders. "So there it is. You're on a date with an ex-stripper, ex-hooker and ex-porn star. I've been used and tossed away more times than I will ever be able to remember, and I spent most of that time drugged out of my own skull. That is everything I've ever been, laid bare at your feet. You still think that you and I can work?"

Azrael stares directly into Angel's eyes for several moments, the determination and terror evident in the tension of his face and the tears he was desperately trying to hold back. He was so tense he visibly flinched when Azrael began to raise one of his hands, but froze when he felt the hand gently rest against his cheek. He looked back at Azrael, seeing a small, gentle smile on his lips. Angel slowly pressed his cheek into the palm of Azrael's hand, reaching up with one of his own hands to hold it in place while he stared into Azrael's eyes.

Azrael speaks softly to Angel, saying, "Angel, I haven't heard you say a single thing to make me think we wouldn't work as a couple." Angel stares at him incredulously, saying "Did you just not listen to everything I just told you? I'm damaged goods, a drugged out fuck toy!" Angel stops when Azrael places a finger against his lips.

"Then you and I heard entirely different stories. I heard the story of a survivor; someone who has been beaten down by the worst thigs this Pit has to throw at them, and still kept pushing forward, refusing to be weak. You have been through things I couldn't begin to imagine, and you came out the other side tall, proud and victorious. And before you say something about the sex or the drugs; it doesn't change a thing between us. You were forced to do something you didn't want to do, but you did it to survive. That is incredible, because I have seen people here go through less than half of the things you have and run at the Cleansers the first chance they got, but not you. You may have done drugs to help dull the pain, but I don't blame you for that. By the nine circles, I am almost certain I would be mainlining PCP 24 hours a day had I had that done to me."

Angel has begun to cry again, clenching his teeth before speaking. "But…but I'm beyond broken. Just hearing that bastard's voice was enough to send me into a full panic. I had called Cherri and begged her to come here by the time you came back for me. I have been craving another spike of Angel Dust since I locked that door." Azrael gently strokes Angel's cheek with his thumb before saying, "Just because you have been broken and scarred, does not mean you are not strong and beautiful. As a side note, you probably want to text Cherri and let her know not to come at the door like a battering ram. The spells can't really differentiate between 'Concerned Friend' and 'Attempted Siege'. I'd hate to have to scrape your bestie off the sidewalk just because she was ready to fight to keep you safe." Azrael smirks impishly at Angel, causing him to laugh and pull his phone out, typing a quick message to Cherri.

After he puts his phone back in his clutch bag, he turns back to face Azrael. Seeing the smile on his face, Angel finally slowly begins to relax. "Do you really mean it? Everything I said doesn't bother you?" Azrael, chewing on his bottom lip, thinks about his answer carefully. "I wouldn't say it doesn't bother me, because it upsets me VERY much that you had to go through all that, but it doesn't in anyway change what I think about you. You are still my friend, and someone I would be happy to eventually have a romantic relationship with after dating for a while. I can promise you that."

Before Angel can respond, a gentle knocking can be heard from the front door. Azrael quickly snatches up his mask and reties it, before snapping a finger and unlocking the door, deactivating the spells and rendering the traps temporarily inert. When the door opens up Cherri sprints inside, immediately going to Angel's side, inspecting him for any trace of damages or distress. Azrael gets up and walks to the door, physically closing it and locking it to give the two some privacy while they fuss over each other.

"Cherri, I swear if you don't give me some space I'm gonna smack the bombs out of you! I said I'm ok, and I have calmed down; I had Ray-Ray here to keep an eye on me and bring me out of my own head." Azrael turns back around and slowly walks back to the two, seeing Angel smiling at him and Cherri staring at him with open distrust. Azrael walks back behind the bar, turning his office light off and locking the door. He motions for the two to follow him as he heads towards the back, lights shutting themselves off behind Cherri and Angel. When they walk outside, Azrael locks the door and activates the security spells. "So, Angel," he says quietly. "Were you still wanting dinner, even if it's a little late?" Angel smiles wider and says, "Actually, if it's ok with you, I think I need to head home. I have…a lot of things to sort out, and I think I may try to do something neither of us is ready for if we're alone."

Azrael smiles back and bows to the two, before gently taking one of Angel's hands and kissing the back of it. "Of course, Angel; I have no problems with you wanting to focus on yourself. I'll see you in the morning, then?" Angel quickly grabs Azrael's hand before he can pull it back and pulls Azrael against himself. The soft sensation of warm lips brushes against Azrael's for a short moment, the smell of coffee and peppermint tickling his nose for just a moment before Angel pulls away from the kiss.

"I certainly hope I'll see you, Ray-Ray, because you never did say no to that breakfast together." Angel turns away; walking down the alleyway with Cherri at his side, the two of them giggling at Azrael's stunned face. After the two are finally out of sight, Azrael shakes his head to clear it before taking out his Hell phone, dialing a number he only reprogrammed in recently.

"Azra," A tired and grumpy voice grumbles from the other end of the phone. "What in the name of Damnation would possess you to call me this late?" Azrael smiles to himself, feeling just a small amount of satisfaction knowing he has annoyed the person he called. "Sorry Luci. Just had something come up last minute and I needed to get your opinion on something." Lucifer grumbles for another couple moments but finally the creak of bed springs can be heard over the phone, followed by a low female voice mumbling too quietly to hear. Lucifer murmurs back to her before walking outside onto a balcony.

"Alright, what the hell has you calling me in the middle of the night?" Azrael can hear a lighter ignite, lighting a cigarette before going out. Azrael begins to tell Lucifer what happened, leaving out any mention of Angel or what he went through. After he finishes telling the story, he hears Lucifer take another long drag before flicking the cigarette away. "So you're telling me that not only did you kick Valentino out of your bar, you more or less told him to fuck off after bouncing him off his own car, is that about what the score is?"

"Maybe not in such colorful terms," Azrael responded. "But more or less correct; you think he's gonna try anything after that?" Lucifer sighs loudly before responding with "It's tough to say, honestly. He is one of Hell's Big Bads, but from my understanding most of his clout comes from sex, drugs and money. He isn't really the type to come at someone head on without an entire army to back him up; but at the same time, he may well be able to drum up enough druggies and whores to MAKE an army. My best advice is to keep your head down for a little while, not make any more waves and hope he was already too smashed to remember who introduced his face to his own fender."

"Hmm," Azrael hums as he strokes his beard as he thinks. "Well, if you are the one telling me to watch my back, I suppose it's worth taking into consideration. Thanks for indulging me, Luci. I appreciate the advice. I'll let you get back to warming Lilith's bed. Give her my regards." Azrael hangs up when he hears Lucifer begin to mutter about being more than a heating pad. He chuckles to himself as he continues to walk down the alley, lighting a cigarette and humming a slow tune to himself as he walks home.

"Angie," Cherri huffs, "What in the nine circles makes you think that chicken head will treat you any better than the other guys you've picked up in the past? He'll get his rocks off then brag to everyone he got to bang Angel Dust." Angel huffs at Cherri before crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't understand, sister, he isn't like that. He actually talks to me, he listens to me. He doesn't treat me like an easy lay; he actually cares about my health and safety."

Cherri scoffs and asks, "How can you possibly be sure he isn't gonna bolt at the first sign of trouble?" Angel stops walking, with Cherri stopping a few steps later. "Because," Angel whispers. "He already faced off against Val to keep him away from me." Cherri stands, slack jawed as Angel tells her what happened before she showed up, even how he told Azrael about his past, and Azrael's reactions. Cherri slowly walks up and wraps Angel in a hug, which he quickly returns. "Wow," she says. "I…guess I can admit he isn't a coward. And the fact he more or less told Val to fuck off earns him some MAJOR brownie points in my book." Angel swats at her shoulder, muttering "Hands off, I saw him first." Cherri just giggles before stepping back, taking a set of Angel's hands into her own. "You're really serious about him, aren't you? You actually want to be with him."

Angel nods, his eyes turning misty. "He's the first person other than you in the entirety of Hell that doesn't expect a damn thing from me other than to be myself. My old boss, Val, hell, even Charlie and Vaggie only helped me because they wanted something in return; but not Ray. He didn't even flinch hearing about what happened to me and didn't judge me for it either. I…I want to be with him, actually with him, not just a casual fling or a one night stand. I want something serious, something _**real**_, I want a lover…I want Azrael."

Cherri shakes her head as she says, "I was so worried you'd never be able to start a serious relationship. I am so happy for you." Angel smiles and starts walking again, Cherri walking next to him, arms around each other. "Don't get too happy yet. I may have gotten a nibble on the bait, but I haven't set the hook just yet. I still have some work to do, but I'm ready and willing to do it. I will get his heart, and then I will SHATTER his pelvis when he finally lets me get my hands on him." Cherri groans but keeps her arm around him.

"Lucifer, I forgot how thirsty you get when you aren't getting any…" Angel scoffs and says, "Oh like you're the picture of purity when your batteries die." The two trade good natured insults as they walk into the hotel lobby, not seeing the stretch limousine pull up across the street. The back window rolls down, showing Val staring at the hotel.

"So…" he purrs to himself. "_This_ is where my lil' Angel cakes has been hiding at. I'll need to remember to pay my respects to the owner sometime. They found my favorite hooker for me." He faces forward again as he rolls the window up, the limo driving off immediately after.


End file.
